“We are devastated”: Rockdale Ilinden’s Dan Elkayam Loss in the Bondi Massacre

Declan Chan19/12/2025 5:55 am18/12/2025

Image credit: Rockdale Ilinden Football Club

As Australia reels from its worst shooting in nearly three decades, and the Jewish community suffers another dark moment of rising antisemitism, esteemed software engineer and football player, Dan Elkayam was one of the lives tragically lost in the Bondi massacre.

27-year-old Elkayam moved here in December last year to pursue his career as an IT analyst.

Kamal Hennou, the director at his former Parisian school described Elkayam as “bursting with talent” and someone “who enlightened those around him with kindness and goodness.”

“We are all devastated,” Hennou said in a statement to Euronews.

A proud football fan, Elkayam played for Sydney’s Rockdale Ilinden Football Club at an NPL level.

In a statement released by the Club’s President Dennis Loether, Elkayam’s “smiling face and respectful nature,” made him a cherished piece of his community and team.

“To say we are shocked would be an understatement. We are devastated to learn that our Football St George PL1 Association Player – Dan Elkayam – was tragically and senselessly killed in the Bondi Beach massacre,” the statement read, capturing the disbelief felt across the local football community.

“Dan was an integral member of our PL1 Squad in 2025 – who was an extremely talented and popular figure amongst team mates. Our deepest and sincerest condolences to Dan’s family, friends and all that knew him. He will be missed. May he Rest in Peace – Memory be Eternal.”

The club has since observed moments of silence and laid tributes in his honour, as players and supporters grapple with the loss.

As investigations continue, identities released, and vigils held across Australia and the world, Elkayam is being remembered not only as a victim of violence, but as a son, teammate, professional, and friend whose life was marked by promise, compassion and community.

According to reports, Elkayam tried to protect a young girl during the Bondi attack before he was killed. Witness accounts suggest he placed himself in harm’s way in an attempt to shield others, a final gesture that has resonated deeply with those who knew him.

A minute of silence was held at his school in honour of Elkayam’s memory on Monday.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

Patrick Irving16/04/2026 8:55 am16/04/2026

Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Marie-Louise Eta makes history as new Union Berlin head coach

Patrick Irving15/04/2026 6:05 am14/04/2026

Image credit: FC Union Berlin

In an historic appointment, Eta will take over as head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

History in the making

Previously the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history with Union Berlin, Eta will now take the reigns of the men’s first team on an interim basis.

Currently, the club sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, but with only two wins so far in 2026, relegation appears an all-too-real prospect, and one which the club is desperate to avoid.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” said Eta via official media release.

‘I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.”

Eta will begin as Union’s new head coach with immediate effect, and will be in the dugout for the club’s matchup against Wolfsburg this weekend.

A step into an equal future

Eta’s appointment signals a major step towards a more level playing field in the football landscape.

Furthermore, Eta joins other coaches including Sabrinna Wittmann, Hannah Dingley and Corinne Diacre who, in recent years, have blazed a trail for female coaches to step into the men’s game.

Wittmann currently manages FC Ingolstadt in Germany’s third division, and was the first female head coach in Germany’s top three divisions.

In 2023, Dingley became caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, and thus the first woman to lead a men’s professional team in England.

Diacre, now head coach of France’s women’s national team, managed Ligue 2’s Clerment Foot between 2014 and 2017.

Final thoughts

The impact therefore, is that Eta’s appointment will show future generations of aspiring female coaches that men’s football is an equally viable and possible pathway as the women’s game.

The time is now to level the playing field.

And while it may be a short-term role, its effect on attitudes towards equality and fair opportunities in the game will hopefully resonate long after the season ends.